Switch OLED Vs. Steam Deck OLED - Full Tech Specs, Nintendo / Valve Handheld Comparison

Valve's latest variant on its range of Steam Deck handheld PCs is the Steam Deck OLED, a system which bears a striking resemblance to Nintendo Switch OLED Model in both name and form. But what's the difference between Switch OLED and Steam Deck OLED?

We've looked previously at the differences between the various Switch models and the standard Steam Deck. In this guide, we cover the tech specifications of these apparently similar machines, which, in fact, are quite different.

We'll compare the raw spec numbers of each system, from the exact dimensions of Steam Deck OLED and Switch OLED to their weight, audio/visual output capabilities, battery life, software, and more.

Nintendo Switch OLED / Steam Deck OLED Technical Specifications Comparison

The chart below presents the full tech specs for Nintendo Switch OLED (as detailed on Nintendo's official website) and Steam Deck OLED (as covered on Valve's website).

TL;DR

Steam Deck OLED is considerably bigger, heavier, and more expensive than Nintendo Switch OLED with a commensurate performance increase to match, has a slightly bigger screen (which supports HDR), much larger internal storage, and slightly better battery life depending on the software being used.

Both consoles can connect to TVs or monitors via HDMI, although you'll need to pay extra for a Steam Deck Docking Station (Switch is sold with a dock included).

The Specs

Steam Deck OLED Upgrades Over The Standard Steam Deck LCD

In addition to the OLED screen, the latest Steam Deck has various other upgrades over its predecessor, including improved battery life.

If you're wondering how the Steam Deck OLED compares to the regular model, here's a list of additional updates over the standard Steam Deck from Valve's website:

General
- Updated APU to 6 nm for better efficiency
- Updated memory to 6400 MT/s, improving latency and power management
- Increased thermal module thickness and performance

Display
- Increased active area to 7.4" (from 7.0")
- Updated refresh rate to 90Hz (from 60Hz)
- Updated peak brightness to 1000 nits
- Updated touchscreen polling rate to 180Hz, improved latency and accuracy

WiFi/Bluetooth
- Updated WiFi / Bluetooth module
- Added support for WiFi 6E
- Added support for Bluetooth 5.3, supporting newer codecs such as aptX HD and aptX low-latency
- Added third antenna near the top of the device for better Bluetooth performance, including when docked
- Added support for wake from Bluetooth controllers

Audio
- Improved bass response for an overall flatter sound profile
- Added support for using onboard microphone array simultaneously with the 3.5mm headphones connector

Controls
- Adjusted analog stick top material and shape for increased grip and dust build-up resistance
- Adjusted analog stick post material to improve interaction feel with front cover and reduce wear
- Improved reliability of analog stick touch detection
- Improved responsiveness and tactility of shoulder buttons switch mechanism
- Adjusted D-pad snap ratio and diagonal interactions
- Redesigned trackpad for improved fidelity and edge detection
- Greatly improved trackpad haptics feel and precision

Power
- Improved battery capacity from 40Wh to 50Wh
- Improved battery chemistry for faster charging, from 20% to 80% in as little as 45 minutes
- Changed charging LED to WRGB
- Added support for waking up from initial unboxing by long-pressing power button instead of requiring AC power
- Adjusted power supply cable length from 1.5m to 2.5m
- Added logo to power supply

Frame
- Reduced total system weight to ~640g, or ~5% less than Steam Deck
- Rear cover screws now thread into metal
- Adjusted rear cover screw heads to Torx™, as well as other materials and geometry tweaks on the heads to reduce stripping risk
- Lowered number of screw types throughout system
- Reduced step count required for common repairs
- Improved bumper switch mechanism drop reliability
- Moved bumper switch to joystick board for easier repair
- Improved display repair/replacement to not require taking rear cover off

Software
- Greatly improved memory power management firmware
- Added preliminary support for open-source BIOS and EC firmware
- Improved resume time by roughly 30%

Switch OLED Vs. Steam Deck OLED Price: How Much Do They Cost?

Switch OLED costs $349.99.

Steam Deck OLED prices start at $549 for the 512GB version, rising to $649 for the 1TB variant.

Steam Deck OLED is $200-300 more expensive than Switch OLED, depending on the model you want.

Switch OLED Vs. Steam Deck OLED - Which Is Better?

When it comes to direct comparisons between Switch OLED and Steam Deck OLED, we're really comparing apples and oranges here.

Switch OLED is a Nintendo device which plays Nintendo games. It's built on a mobile chipset developed in the mid-2010s, with commensurate technological weaknesses compared to hardware developed in the interim. It's designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of players of all ages and has a large library of games, many of them exclusive first-party games from Nintendo itself.

Steam Deck OLED is a handheld PC primarily designed to appeal to PC gamers with substantial Steam libraries and PC enthusiasts looking for a convenient way to take their games on the go. The hardware is both larger and more recently developed (and more expensive), meaning it offers substantial performance upgrades over Switch.

Both systems offer large libraries and excellent gameplay experiences and are superficially similar devices. If you have to choose between one and the other, it really comes down to how badly you need the best performance available in a portable gaming device vs. how madly you need access to Nintendo's stable of exclusive games, including Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, and many other popular series which aren't available to buy on non-Nintendo hardware.